5 Tips to Make Your Air Conditioner More Efficient

We are nearly into June and the heat is only going to increase. June, July and August are usually the hottest months of the year.

During these months, it is important to ensure your air conditioning is working efficiently. You certainly don’t want to come home from a tough day at the office, and find out your air conditioner is making you hot and uncomfortable.

Of course, you can always call an HVAC technician. He will work professionally and make sure everything is right with your air conditioning system. At the same time, we would like to suggest 5 simple steps you can take to make sure your air conditioning is working perfectly.

Understanding the Air Conditioning System

To start, let us understand the components of an air conditioning system. Essentially there are two main components. The first one usually resides outside your home and is called the compressor or condenser unit. Indoors, you have an evaporator coil and an air handler or air blower.

In simple terms, frozen Freon® gas in liquid form is sent through the evaporator coils. The blower blows hot air over the coils. The cold Freon® gas immediately cools the air and the resultant cold air is circulated around the house. The Freon® gas has now turned into vapor. The vapor is now sent to the outdoor unit that converts it back to cold frozen liquid.

What All Can You DIY?

1. The outdoor unit has a sealed compressor/condenser unit that needs a professional to repair or maintain. At the same time you can certainly clean the condenser coils, and remove any debris around. Since the unit resides outside, it will likely have leaves, dirt and other debris. Also look for a large fan.

First disconnect the unit from power. Remove the top and side panels using a simple screw driver. If you can access the fan blades, see if the fan rotates easily. If not, see if you can add a few drops of lubricating oil or spray on its rotor. Clean the blades thoroughly.

Next, look at the condenser coil. Using a soft brush, remove all debris on the coil. If needed, use a mild detergent to clean the coils thoroughly. If you have an air blower, use that to blow away all dirt within the unit.

2. Look around the outdoor unit and clear and brush away all debris. Carefully inspect the base of the outdoor unit and make sure that all debris has been removed. Remove anything that will obstruct air flow. If you have a pressure washer, keep it on low pressure and wash away dirt. Use an air blower to remove all water. Put the top and side panels back on.

3. In the indoor unit, check the air filter and replace as necessary.

4. Inspect the tubes that carry the Freon® gas from your outdoor unit to the indoor unit. These are called coolant lines. They are usually covered with foam to prevent loss of heat. If the foam is frayed in places, use a utility knife and remove them. Use new foam insulation sleeves and cover the coolant pipes again. If the fraying is in small areas, you can also wrap the coolant lines with foam insulation tape.

5. Look at the power points in both the outdoor unit as well as the indoor unit. If the power cables connections to the outdoor unit look old and tired, disconnect the power cables, clean the end points, and reconnect them. If an electrical insulation tape has been used, throw them away and use new insulation in its place.

Now reconnect everything and test your unit. We bet you will see a drop in temperature of the air conditioning air coming into your house by a few degrees.

At Aliso Air, we have a lot of experience in handling HVAC units. Our technicians are standing by to help you with your air conditioning needs. Call our office today to learn more about the services and peace of mind that we provide.